Mayor James Young, Richelle Putnam, Mayor Mike Grayson, Kirk Thompson, C.D. Smith and Allison Winstead

Economic growth doesn’t always come in the form of smoke stacks extending high from the roof tops of factories. Sometimes it comes in much smaller doses with equally long term effects.

Friday, at Widemann’s Restaurant in downtown Meridian, representatives of AT&T in Meridian presented a $10,000 check to officials with the Montgomery Institute to be distributed with matching funds from the institute to rural communities and to towns and city programs that promote the arts, education and the entrepreneurial spirit among artists.

“This funding is for the integrated arts and education programs the Montgomery Institute will launch in the coming weeks,” said C.D. Smith, regional director of AT&T.

Richelle Putnam from the Montgomery Institute said the funding will go to nine counties, five in East Mississippi and four in West Alabama. She said in places such as Meridian, arts and entertainment is such a big part of the local economy. The same could be true for rural areas as well, she said.

“A lot of rural communities don’t have the funding and are missing out on the potential creative people can have on the area,” said Putnam. “This funding will also help the artists themselves to show them how to market their art and to be entrepreneurs.”

Demopolis, Ala., Mayor Mike Grayson welcomes the opportunities this funding will have on his area. He has noted, as have many community leaders, the slowdown of industrial expansion. He looks forward to the advantages this program will have on his area.

“Not only from the economic standpoint but also for the young people who will be exposed to the arts,” Grayson said. “This will give them a sense of value and self worth.”

Putnam said the program’s arts and education aspect is aimed at pre-K children who are from lower income areas and who are not exposed to the arts as readily as others.

“It is important to get these sorts of programs to the children as early as possible,” Putnam said.

Bill Crawford, president of the Montgomery Institute said each city, town and community will be reimbursed using the grant money and matching funds.

“We will go by what each community needs and what they can have the most success with in terms of the type of program assistance they will receive,” said Crawford. “The money will be distributed on a case by case basis but the overall goal is to make this available to everyone who wants it.”

Allison Winstead of the Mississippi Arts Commission said the beautiful thing about this type of spark for the economy is that it is not tied down by all the usual restrictions most industries face.

“The creative economy is not based on location or population,” Winstead said. “It can go anywhere, anytime, and not be tied down to a region.”

By Brian Livingston / blivingston@themeridianstar.com The Meridian Star

Nina Head of West Point is one of two students
to simultaneously complete two Workforce
Services programs recently at EMCC. She
graduated from the Certified Nursing Assistant program and the Basic Manufacturing Skills
program with the help of grants and
local funding that covered all
costs for both classes.

MAYHEW — A pair of Golden Triangle students recently took advantage of grants and local funding to complete two programs, each, through East Mississippi Community College’s Workforce Services Division without paying a penny out of pocket. The duo said it was tough, but it was worth it.

Nina Head of West Point and Joscia Shinn of Columbus completed the Certified Nursing Assistant program at the Golden Triangle campus and the Basic Manufacturing Skills course at the West Point Center, thanks to a healthcare grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, a workforce grant from the Walmart Foundation, partnership with The Montgomery Institute in Meridian and funding through the WIN Job Center of Columbus. The students are among a select few to complete two Workforce programs simultaneously.

“These students have added two potential career paths to their lives in just 10 weeks. And neither of these classes is simple. Both require a great deal of focus and study, in class and at home,” said Mitzi Thompson, Workforce specialist at EMCC. “We’re very proud of them both.”

Shinn, 22, will vouch for the classes’ difficulty. After being laid off from Tyson Foods last year, she wanted to enter the Workforce phlebotomy course. But a phlebotomy class wasn’t due to begin for a few months after she qualified for the healthcare grant, so she entered the CNA program. When she added the manufacturing class, she initially felt as though she’d made a mistake.

“When I first started the manufacturing class, I was really discouraged. I didn’t think I was going to finish. But I kept working and I finished and I’m really proud of myself,” she said.

Head, who has been unemployed for six months, spent 15 years working at Sara Lee Foods in West Point until the plant closed in 2007. She landed on her feet, finding a job as a quality control inspector at Navistar in West Point, which assembles military Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, but was laid off late in 2011. The mother of eight still supports five children at home and was nearing the end of her eligibility to receive unemployment benefits.

Now she’s confident she’ll have a job in healthcare by July.

Despite having some experience in manufacturing due to her time at Navistar, Head said taking both classes simultaneously took a toll on her. She attended manufacturing classes at the West Point Center Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to noon. On Mondays and Wednesdays, she would drive straight to the Golden Triangle campus in Mayhew until 6 p.m. for CNA classes. But her built-in support network never allowed doubt to enter her mind.

“On Mondays and Wednesdays, when I would get home, I would not be in a good mood. I’d be tired and had things to deal with as far as school goes,” Head said.

“But every day I had a note or a handmade card on my desk at home or in my bathroom, something somewhere in the house, even in the refrigerator, telling me ‘I know you’re going to do it.’ I would get breakfast on the weekends. And some days I would open my backpack and find two or three notes saying ‘Have a great day. We know you’re going to do it.’ My children have been a big inspiration to me,” she said.

Both Shinn and Head plan to look for work in the healthcare field. Head also plans to return to EMCC to pursue a nursing degree. But both women also plan to look out for manufacturing work, which is often accompanied by good pay and benefits.

They recommend both programs with equal enthusiasm.

“These programs are a great opportunity for people who need more skills in areas where you can actually find a job,” said Head.

To find out more about the Certified Nursing Assistant program, the Basic Manufacturing Skills program and other Workforce Services classes, or to find out if you qualify for a healthcare grant from the Department of Labor, contact Thompson at (662) 243-2647 or mthompson@eastms.edu.

One of the students Semisouth hired was Brian Wright. Brian had been laid off by Griffin
Armament (Navistar International’s partner for armor on military trucks) and had helped build
the armored vehicles being used in Iraq/Afghanistan. Brian took the Manufacturing Skills Basic
class provided through the Walmart Foundation Grant in February 2010.

Brian interviewed in mid-November and was hired the week of Thanksgiving and began
work the following Monday. Currently, Brian is assigned to second shift and helping with the
manufacture of silicon carbide semiconductor products. After completing the Manufacturing
Skills Basic class at EMCC, Brian took the Composite Manufacture and Avionics & Cabling class
and completed the M3 Level II certification. In addition he completed the online CAD-CAM
training that EMCC offered through e-Magnolia. Below is a letter he sent to Jim Huerkamp.

Dr. Huerkamp:
Just stopped in to say thank you.  Really enjoy the work and the mission of Semisouth.
They are excellent, the work environment could not be any better.  This job and you
were a blessing from God.  My family and I thank you more than you could ever know.
Jim you are the best!

Brian has stopped by several times over the last two months and has plans to formalize his
education by working toward an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts.

In November 2010, Ted became employed with Toyota Motor Manufacturing, in Blue Springs,
MS. He is working in general maintenance in the stamping department. In this
department, they take flat sheets of metal and stamp (shape) them into fenders, doors, etc.
Ted said that his job with Toyota utilizes all the skills and information he gained during his
training at ECCC.

Recently, Ted told ECCC personnel that he felt like he was on cloud nine when he walked into
the Toyota plant his first day. Toyota required six months of training at the beginning – training
on the same equipment he used while at ECCC. He said that he was at the head of the class on
all learning levels because of the previous training and experience he had received through the
Walmart Foundation program. Ted’s daily job requires knowledge in all areas from electrical
experience to maintaining equipment to quality testing. He said that due to the training
with Amatrol equipment and Amatrol e-learning, he felt right at home at the Toyota Motor
Manufacturing Plant.

Nexus Hero is a program The Montgomery Institute offers to train and support people and businesses that want make money on the Internet.

“This class provided information in an interesting yet educational manner” said Care Lodge Community Coordinator Diane Mills. “I’ve been using Mailchimp for a while and I appreciated having the opportunity to learn more about utilizing the software.”

Mill’s comments came after a May 17 class, “Using Mailchimp to Build your Mailing List,” that Hamilton offered through The Montgomery Institute.

“These are free, informal sessions that carry no CEUs but are designed to take you on a guided tour of the tech tools that are out there that can help you connect to the Internet economy,” Hamilton said. “It may be for a business you want to create or as a way to expand your current business,” Hamilton continued. “These classes are initially being offered only to businesses, organizations and their employees in the community but we hope to expand the offerings as interest grows.”

The next Nexus Hero Brown Bag Lunch class “Taking Payments Online” will be held Thursday, May 31, 2012, from noon to 1 p.m. at The Montgomery Institute at 200 24th Avenue South in Meridian. A second class “Making the Most of the Changes to Facebook” will be held at the same time on Thursday, June 21, 2012.

Individuals interested in attending Nexus Hero Brown Bag Lunch classes should register with Lauren Denham at The Montgomery Institute. Sessions are limited to the first 15 registrants. Learn more about Nexus Hero at www.nexushero.org and The Montgomery Institute at www.tmi.ms.

MERIDIAN, Miss. – Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour and Alabama Robert Bentley joined other leaders November 9, 2011, for a bi-state summit on strategies that would help West Alabama and East Mississippi address challenges. Hosted by 20 mayors from the region, over 300 leaders from state and local government, economic development organizations, business, and education attended the West Alabama-East Mississippi Mayors’ Regional Summit.

The emphasis was on working together to achieve success.

“The Toyota plant in Tupelo is a perfect example of regionalism,” said Bill Crawford, president of The Montgomery Institute, which organized the summit for the mayors. The Walmart Foundation sponsored the summit.

“We need to work together to move this region forward,” said Chief Phyliss Anderson of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. “When that happens it’s a win-win for all.”

Both governors stressed the importance of working together to generate jobs. Both that energy, aerospace and automotive industries are important targets for development.

“We anticipate that KiOR, within the next six years, will build a plant near Meridian, because there’s a tremendous amount of timber here,” said Barbour. KiOR is making a $1 billion, 7-year investment in Mississippi, to make bio-fuel from wood. Barbour said this will create about three hundred new jobs in east Mississippi.

Bentley said a priority focus of his administration will be economic and infrastructure development in West Alabama. He said he is pursuing major highway program. We’re talking about between $1-2 billion,” he said. “That’s major and we have not finalized that. We’re just working on that right now.”

Blake Wilson, president of the Mississippi Economic Council, and Seth Hammett, chairman of the Alabama Economic Development Alliance, told attendees about “Blueprint Mississippi” and “Accelerate Alabama.” Both are statewide strategic planning programs aimed at improving state economies.

Mariia Zimmerman, deputy director of the HUD Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, discussed changing conditions in Washington and opportunities available to the region.

Mississippi Community College Board director Dr. Eric Clark and Alabama Industrial Training manager of community outreach services Rep. Pebblin Warren discussed workforce education needs and resources.

Congressman Gregg Harper wrapped up the session with a focus on budget challenges in Washington.

Barbour thinks the job outlook for the region is good.

“You’ve got so much automobile manufacturing nearby at Canton, at Tupelo, at Tuscaloosa, at Anniston, at Montgomery,” he said. “So, there’s no question that West Alabama and East Mississippi will get chances to participate.”

The summit marked the fourth bi-state summit in a decade sponsored by The Montgomery Institute.

Click to view a PDF version of the agenda.

MERIDIAN, Miss. – Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour and Alabama Robert Bentley joined other leaders November 9, 2011, for a bi-state summit on strategies that would help West Alabama and East Mississippi address challenges. Hosted by 20 mayors from the region, over 300 leaders from state and local government, economic development organizations, business, and education attended the West Alabama-East Mississippi Mayors’ Regional Summit.

The emphasis was on working together to achieve success.

“The Toyota plant in Tupelo is a perfect example of regionalism,” said Bill Crawford, president of The Montgomery Institute, which organized the summit for the mayors. The Walmart Foundation sponsored the summit.

“We need to work together to move this region forward,” said Chief Phyliss Anderson of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. “When that happens it’s a win-win for all.”

Both governors stressed the importance of working together to generate jobs. Both that energy, aerospace and automotive industries are important targets for development.

“We anticipate that KiOR, within the next six years, will build a plant near Meridian, because there’s a tremendous amount of timber here,” said Barbour. KiOR is making a $1 billion, 7-year investment in Mississippi, to make bio-fuel from wood. Barbour said this will create about three hundred new jobs in east Mississippi.

Bentley said a priority focus of his administration will be economic and infrastructure development in West Alabama. He said he is pursuing major highway program. We’re talking about between $1-2 billion,” he said. “That’s major and we have not finalized that. We’re just working on that right now.”

Blake Wilson, president of the Mississippi Economic Council, and Seth Hammett, chairman of the Alabama Economic Development Alliance, told attendees about “Blueprint Mississippi” and “Accelerate Alabama.” Both are statewide strategic planning programs aimed at improving state economies.

Mariia Zimmerman, deputy director of the HUD Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, discussed changing conditions in Washington and opportunities available to the region.

Mississippi Community College Board director Dr. Eric Clark and Alabama Industrial Training manager of community outreach services Rep. Pebblin Warren discussed workforce education needs and resources.

Congressman Gregg Harper wrapped up the session with a focus on budget challenges in Washington.

Barbour thinks the job outlook for the region is good.

“You’ve got so much automobile manufacturing nearby at Canton, at Tupelo, at Tuscaloosa, at Anniston, at Montgomery,” he said. “So, there’s no question that West Alabama and East Mississippi will get chances to participate.”

The summit marked the fourth bi-state summit in a decade sponsored by The Montgomery Institute.

Click to view a PDF version of the agenda.

Alabama governor, Robert Bentley, left, listens as Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour talks of regional support during the mayor’s summit.

Booker T. Washington, who wrote, in his 1901 autobiography, Up from Slavery, said the term was first used to designate a part of the country, which was distinguished by the color of the soil. The part of the country possessing this thick, dark, and naturally rich soil was the part of the South where the black slaves were most numerous and profitable. Later and especially since the Civil War, the term seems to be used wholly in a political sense — that is, to designate the counties where the black people outnumber the white.

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley says this region of West Alabama is one of the places in which industry and growth needs to take root much like the cotton plants of the past.

Bentley, along with Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, spoke Wednesday morning at the West Alabama-East Mississippi Mayor’s Regional Summit held at the MSU Riley Center in downtown Meridian. Both state leaders say cooperation on the regional level is key to seeing growth in these areas.

“People have talked about doing something in the Black Belt for many years but that is all that has happened, just talk,” Bentley said Wednesday. “Now there is something happening.”

Where in the past, economic development leaders have concentrated on their own towns in order to try and lure in industry and jobs, Barbour says the key now is to promote the region, not just the city or town, in order to convince outside industry to invest in either East Mississippi or West Alabama.

“We have proven the Mississippi worker is more than willing to travel to get and maintain a good job,” Barbour said. “There are a great many examples of workers traveling across the Alabama-Mississippi border in order to work.”

The summit is a part of The Montgomery Institute (TMI) mission, which is to “upbuild the people and places of the East Mississippi and West Alabama region guided by the leadership legacy of G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery.”

Bill Crawford, president of TMI, says the mayors meet quarterly to discuss the issues within their jurisdictions.

“Our goal with this event is to direct a strong focus to our region so that we can continue to move forward,” Crawford said.

About 350 people, including state and local elected officials, economic development leaders and business leaders attended the summit.

While talking about the large industries states try to bring inside their borders, Barbour says state leaders should not forget about the small business and entrepreneurs who drive local economies. He says promoting entrepreneurship is vital to local and state economies especially since Mississippi will soon be losing federal funds like the Community Development Block Grants the state has received since Hurricane Katrina.

“That money is drying up,” Barbour said. “State revenues will be less.”

Both governors said training the workforce through community college education and high school programs will be crucial to convincing industries to come to the Black Belt. Bentley, however, admits there is a vicious cycle in play in which state and local leaders must make a decision where to invest decreasing funds. One dilemma, says Bentley, is whether the money should go to education or improving the infrastructure?

But with both states touting the other, the governors say the region and workers will eventually win out.

“We routinely support Alabama if it looks like we aren’t in the running for something because we could benefit from what they get in terms of industry and jobs,” Barbour said.

Barbour said the economic experts say the country is not in a recession now. He says for those experts to tell that to the local shop owner on Main Street.

“We have to be seen as a much larger work force than in the past if we think on the regional level,” Barbour said. “If we do that, the local shop owner, and everyone else, will see the growth we are constantly trying to achieve.”

By Brian Livingston / blivingston@themeridianstar.com The Meridian Star

From the East:

From the West:

From the South:

From the North: